Car construction



Dec. 1, 1936- 1. P. ANDERSON CAR CONSTRUCTION Fil'ed Deo. 15, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Dec. 1, 1936, J. P. ANDERSON CAR CONSTRUCTION -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Deo. l5, 1935 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAR CONSTRUCTION Application December 15, 1933, Serial No. 702,534

17 Claims.

The invention pertains to vehicles provided with dump bodies and particularly railway dump cars used in ditching service.

Railway cars of the type described are the usual dump cars provided with an underframe, a body tiltably mounted to dump to either side of the underframe, side doors on the bodl hinged adjacent the floor thereof and adapted to open outwardly and downwardly as the body is tilted about the adjacent side of the underframe. When used in ditching service the bodies of the cars are provided with end walls, either removable or hinged to fold outwardly and downwardly to permit the passage, from end to end of a train of such cars, of a shovel or other loading mechanism which is preferably mounted on caterpillar tractors for this purpose. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that during the loading operation and particularly where the shovel is used for digging as well as loading, stresses are, from time to time, exerted on the iioor oi the body ci the car adjacent the side walls and tend to tilt the body with consequential injuries to the car and the ditching machine.

An object of the invention is to provide a body locking mechanism which will maintain the body in iixed horizontal position during all loading operations of the `ditching machine and which will automatically release as the body is tilted by the usual body tilting mechanism provided for that purpose.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a partial section through a car of the character described showing the body locking mechanism; Fig. 2 shows a section similar to that of Fig. 1 with the body in tilted position; Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the mechanism on lines 3-3 of Fig. 1 CI the drawings; Fig. 4 shows a section on lines 4--4 of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a section taken on lines 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 shows an enlarged view of the body locking mechanism along lines 6-5 oi Fig. 3 with associated portions of the car in dot and dash lines.

Referring now in particular to Figs. l and 6 of the drawings, the car underframe A has a body B tiltable thereon by means of the trunnions C, mounted adjacent each side oi the body, engaging the underirame and adapted to pivot on bearings D on the underirame. Pvotally mounted upon the underirame adjacent each side thereof are body tilting cylinders E which are shown in dot and dash lines. Although not shown or described, it will be understood that the complete car is to be equipped with body side walls preferably hinged adjacent the floor and adapted to open outwardly and downwardly as the body is tilted, with movable end walls, and a suitable mechanism mounted on the car for automatically operating the side doors as the body is tilted by means of the tilting cylinders E. The body tilting cylinders are connected to the body by means of a yoke F having its end portions mounted in bearings Gr and secured to the body.

, As shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings the bearing G is suitably formed to permit a limited movement of the ends of the yoke F relative to the bearing G, and consequently to the body B. The

y ends of the yoke engaging the bearing G are indicated by the letter T. This bearing G is formed in the trunnion C and a member H secured to the body which combines with the member C to provide a support ior the body upon the underframe and a connection between the yoke F and the body. The trunnion C being so formed as to have a flat portion engaging the underirame to maintain the body in stable equilibrium, an arcuate portion upon which the body rolls during the initial tilting movement and a pivot portion engaging with a bearing D of the underirame after the body has completed its initial movement and upon which pivot the dumping movement is completed. By so forming the bearing G in the trunnion C and member H, the body during the initial dumping movement can move relative to the yoke bearings T engaging the bearing G. Likewise, the bearing Gr permits an initial movement of the yoke relative to the body, before imparting movement to the body. This latter movement relative to the body is taken advantage of to release the body locking mechanism as will be hereinafter set forth.

The body locking mechanism comprises a bell crank l pivotally mounted on the body as by means of the pin 2 and having a slotted bearing portion 3 in engagement with an end T oi the yoke F. Connected to the bell crank i by means of the pin l are a pair oi link operating arms 5 which in turn are connected to the link E5 pivotally mounted on the body by means of the pin l supported in a bracket 8. One of the arms 5 has an extension 9 thereon to which is attached a tension spring l, which spring is in turn connected to one ci the side members oi the car body B. The link 6, when in operative position, engages a projection Il on the underframe. The link operating arms 5 at their connection to the member l by means of the pin i are slotted as at l2 for a purpose which will be hereinafter described.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a body locking mechanism comprising a tension member extending between the body and underframe of the car adjacent each side thereof. This member when in position prevents accidental tilting of the body upon the underframe. In order that the said member will not interfere with the intentional tilting of the body I have provided a connection between the body tilting mechanism and the said member which moves the member to an inoperable posi- 6C tion. This movement is effected b'y the body tilting mechanism and prior to any movement of the car body.

The operation of the particular embodiment of the invention as described is as follows: assuming the body to be horizontal as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings and with the various mechanisms in their positions as shown, and it is desired to tilt the body about the right hand trunnion of the car, which is not shown in the drawings, the piston moving within the cylinder E moves the ends T of the yoke F upward within the bearing G until they reach the uppermost position Tl as shown in dot and dash lines before transmitting any lifting eifort to the car body. In so doing, the trunnions T of the yoke F moving within the bearing 3 of the bell crank I rotate the bell crank in a clock-wise direction into the position shown in dot and dash lines. The link 6 by reason of its connection to the bell crank I by means of the arms 5 is also rotated in a clockwise direction into the position 61 shown in dot and dash lines. It will be obvious from an inspection of the drawings that this movement of the link 6 has extended the tension spring I0.

From the above description it will be readily apparent that before any lifting effort is applied to the body by means of the dumping cylinders, the locking mechanism has been actuated to released position so as to permit free uninterrupted movement of the body. From an inspection of the drawings, it will be obvious that as the body is righted and again comes to rest upon the underframe, upon the flat portion of the bearing v C engaging with the underframe and removing the load of the body from the yoke F, as the pressure within the cylinder E is reduced, the yoke F will move downward and through its trunnions T move the bell crank I in a counterclockwise direction so as to rotate the link 6 from the position 61 shown in dot and dash lines on Fig. 6 to that shown in full lines. If, for any reason, due to friction in the moving parts, the bell crank I would not move downward the tension spring Il would rotate the bell crank in a counter-clockwise direction so as to return the link 6 into locking position.

When the body B is tilted about the trunnions C shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings the action of the locking mechanism is as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. As the body rotates on the underframe and the bearings C engage with the bearings D on the underframe the link B, due to its connection with the body, moves downward out of engagement with the portion II of the underframe. The slotted bearings 3 in the bell crank I and the slotted bearings I2 in the arms 5 provide sufficient lost motion to permit free rotation of the body without injury to the link 6 and its associated locking mechanism as shown in full lines on Fig. 2 of the drawings.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that one or more of the links 6 may be mounted at each side of the car. Where there is but one dumping cylinder at each side of the car the cylinder is usually located in the center of the car and a pair of locking mechanisms can be secured to the cylinder yoke at each side of the car. Where two of such dumping cylinders are mounted on each side of the car, one of the locking mechanisms can be mounted on each cylinder yoke as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Various changes may be made in the construction and manner of mounting the locking mechanism upon the car will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, which will be within the scope of the invention as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l.. In a dump car having an underframe, a tiltable body and a power actuated body tilting mechanism, the combination of a member pivotally mounted on the body and adapted to releasably engage with the underframe, and a link connection between the said member and body tilting mechanism.

2. In a dump car having an underframe, a tiltable body and a power actuated body tilting mechanism, a member mounted on the body and adapted to engage the underframe, means on the body for controlling the movements of said member and a connection between said means and body tilting mechanism.

3. In a dump car having an underframe, a tiltable body and a power actuated body tilting mechanism, the combination of a locking member mounted beneath the body and adapted to releasably secure the body and underframe in transverse fixed relation, means on the body, including a member having an aperture therein, for controlling the locking member, and a connection between said apertured member and body tilting mechanism, within said aperture.

4. In a dump car, in combination, an underframe, a tiltably mounted body, a power actuated body tilting mechanism, a connection between the body and mechanism providing limited movement of the mechanism relative to the body, a bell crank pivotally connected with the body, a body locking member on the body adapted to engage the underframe, a connection between the bell crank and the locking member, and a connection between the bell crank and body tilting mechanism.

5. In a dump car, in combination, an underirame, a tiltable body supported thereon in stable equilibrium, a power actuated body tilting mechanism connected with the body and means automatically securing the body in xed transverse relation to the underframe when the body is horizontally disposed thereto and automatically releasing the body for tilting movement upon movement of the tilting mechanism, said means being controlled by movement of said tilting mechanism relative to its connection with the body.

6. In a car of the character described in combination, an underframe, a body for tilting about the sides of the underframe, a locking device at each side of the car mounted upon the body and selectively engaging the underframe to secure the body in xed relation to the underframe when the body is in load carrying position, said device including a member pivotally mounted upon the body, a latch means upon the underframe for engagement with the member and means on the body associated with the member to selectively release the member from the underframe latch means as the bcdy moves in dumping.

7. In a car of the character described in combination, a body, an underframe, laterally spaced pairs of bearings on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the body supporting the body in stable equilibrium upon the underframe and providing a support for the body during tilting, a body tilting mechanism mounted on the underframe and operably connected to said bearings for selectively tilting the body about either side of the underfraine and having a limited movement relative to said bearings, a member mounted on the body for selectively engaging the underirame and means mounted on the body and operably associated with said member and tilting mechanism for selectively moving the member free o the underframe as the body moves in dumping.

8. In a vehicle including an underframe, a tiltably mounted body and a body tilting mechanism, the combination of a member pivotally mounted on the body and adapted to engage the underframe, an outwardly projecting portion on the underframe adapted to be engaged by said member, means resiliently resisting movement oi said member, means mounted on the body and operably associated with the tilting mechanism, and a link connection between said resilient means, pivotally mounted member, and said means associated with the body tilting mechanism.

9. In a vehicle of the character described in combination, an underframe, a body, means beneath the body adjacent the sides thereof and engaging the underframe to support the body in stable equilibrium when in load carrying position and providing an initial lateral movement of the body upon the underframe during the tilting oi the body, body tilting mechanism mounted on the underframe, means operably connecting the body tilting mechanism to the body supporting members, a mechanism mounted on the body for locking the same in fixed relation to the underirame and operably associated with said means so as to be actuated by movement of the body tilting mechanism.

10. In a dump vehicle in combination, an underframe, a tiltably mounted body, a body tilting mechanism, a member pivotally mounted on the body and adapted to engage the underframe, a member pivotally mounted on the body and actuated by movement of the body tilting mechanism and means operably connecting said members to release the locking mechanism when the body is tilted about the opposite side of the underirame.

1l. In a vehicle of the character described in combination, an underframe, a tiltably mounted body, a body tilting mechanism, a locking member mounted on the body for selective engagement with the underframe, a member pivotally mounted on the body, a connection between said latter member and the body tilting mechanism, a connection between said latter member and the body locking means and means on the body operably associated with said pivotally mounted member for resiliently resisting movement of said member.

12. In a vehicle including an underframe, a body tiltably mounted thereon and body tilting mechanism mounted upon the underframe, the combination of means for securing the body xed in load carrying position upon the underframe, means connecting the tilting mechanism to the body to provide an initial movement of the mechanism relative to the body, a member mounted on the body and operably associated with both means whereby the relative movement of the tilting mechanism at the rising side of the body is utilized to release the body for dumping before the body is actuated and at the dumping side lost motion provided in the member renders the connection inactive.

13. In a vehicle including an underframe, a body tiltably mounted thereon, and a body tilting mechanism, the combination of a member mounted on the body and releasably engaging the underframe to prevent tilting movement of the body upon the underframe, a member mounted on the body and operably associated with the first named member and the tilting mechanism, and a connection between the tilting mechanism and body whereby the mechanism has limited movement relative to the body.

14. In a vehicle including an underframe, a body tiltably mounted thereon, and a body tilting mechanism, the combination of a member mounted on the body and releasably engaging the underframe to prevent tilting movement of the body upon the underirame, a member mounted on the body and operably associated with the rst named member and the tilting mechanism, a connection between the tilting mechanism and body whereby the mechanism has limited movement relative to the body, and means automatically positioning the member releasably engaging the underframe when the body is righted after tilting to discharge the lading.

15. In a vehicle including an underframe, a body tiltably mounted thereon, and a body tilting mechanism, the combination of a member mounted on the body and releasably engaging the underframe to prevent tilting movement of the body upon the underframe, a member mounted on the body and operably associated with the rst named member and the tilting mechanism, a connection between the tilting mechanism and body whereby the mechanism has limited movement relative to the body, and resilient means mounted on the body and operably connected to said members.

16. In a dump car, in combination, an underirame, a tiltable body, laterally spaced bearings on the body engaging the underframe to retain the body in stable equilibrium, said body moving on said bearings in tilting about the side of the underframe, a body tilting mechanism pivotally mounted on the underframe and having a connection with the body, means mounted on the body releasably engaging beneath a portion of the underframe to limit movement of the body on said bearings, and an operable connection between said means and the tilting mechanism for releasing said means before actuating r the body by said tilting mechanism.

17. In a dump car, in combination, an underframe, a body, bearings on the body adjacent each side thereof providing a support for the body on the underframe, an elongated aperture in one of said bearings, a body tilting mechanism mounted on the underframe and engaging within said aperture, locking means limiting relative movement between the body and underframe, and an operable connection between said locking means and body tilting mechanism whereby relative linear movement between the tilting mechanism and bearing releases the locking means prior to actuating the body.

JOHN P. ANDERSON. 

